Insights on cisgenic plants with durable disease resistance under the European Green Deal

• Published in: Trends in biotechnology (Regular ed.) Vol. 41; no. 8; pp. 1027 - 1040
• Main Authors: Schneider, Kevin, Barreiro-Hurle, Jesus, Vossen, Jack, Schouten, Henk J., Kessel, Geert, Andreasson, Erik, Kieu, Nam Phuong, Strassemeyer, Jörn, Hristov, Jordan, Rodriguez-Cerezo, Emilio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2023; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adaptation; Agricultural production; cisgenesis; Crop diseases; Crops; Crops, Agricultural - genetics; Disease resistance; Disease Resistance - genetics; Environmental impact; Farmers; Food; Genes; Genetically altered foods; Genetics and Breeding; Genetik och förädling; Germplasm; integrated pest management; Mutation; new genome technique; Pathogens; Pesticides; Pests; Phytophthora infestans; Plant Biotechnology; Plant Breeding; Plants, Genetically Modified - genetics; Potatoes; Venturia inaequalis; Växtbioteknologi; Europe; Phytophthora infestans; Venturia inaequalis; cisgenesis; pesticides; new genome technique; integrated pest management
• ISSN: 0167-7799; 1879-3096; 1879-3096
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.02.005

The European Green Deal demands a system-wide rethinking of Europe’s approach to food production, with ambitious targets that could result in repercussions for consumers across the globe if tools for adaptation are not supported.Integrated pest management is a holistic approach to plant health that is centered around varieties with improved biotic resistances.New genomic techniques ease the development of varieties with durable biotic resistances through the stacking of resistance genes.Varieties with durable biotic resistances enable a system-wide rethinking of disease control, which can result in sizable reductions of pesticide use without affecting yields.While environmental benefits, due to the reduction in pesticide use, are to be expected from the adoption of the here reviewed cisgenic varieties, economic benefits are likely conditional on consumers’ acceptance of the technology. Significant shares of harvests are lost to pests and diseases, therefore, minimizing these losses could solve part of the supply constraints to feed the world. Cisgenesis is defined as the insertion of genetic material into a recipient organism from a donor that is sexually compatible. Here, we review (i) conventional plant breeding, (ii) cisgenesis, (iii) current pesticide-based disease management, (iv) potential economic implications of cultivating cisgenic crops with durable disease resistances, and (v) potential environmental implications of cultivating such crops; focusing mostly on potatoes, but also apples, with resistances to Phytophthora infestans and Venturia inaequalis, respectively. Adopting cisgenic varieties could provide benefits to farmers and to the environment through lower pesticide use, thus contributing to the European Green Deal target.